NEWS

Haryana submits Aravalli rehab plan before

Source: Hindustan Times , New Delhi, Mar 31, 2010, Date: March , 2010

Every lease holder will have to rehabilitate and reclaim the area once
mining ends in the Aravallis. The Haryana government has proposed an
extensive rehabilitation plan in the Aravallis and a detailed proposal
has been submitted before the special bench of the Supreme Court.The
government said it would be mandatory for the lessee to deposit 10 per
cent of the auction money with the State Mining Department. If the
lessee fails to keep up its promise to rehabilitate the area, the amount
would get forfeited to the Aravalli Rehabilitation Fund. Haryana has
also proposed depositing 10 per cent of the auction money that would be
set-up under the chairmanship of the state Chief Secretary. Subsequent
to the court direction, the government has decided to identify 600
hectares in Faridabad for mining of minor minerals. It would notify
transparent guidelines for the mining auction. While formulating the
guidelines, the government would prescribe that each mining lease should
not exceed 30 hectares to ensure a healthy competition. The government
intends to ban establishment of a labour camp in the forest area. The
area which government is likely to identify for mining would not include
those that have already been operated in the past and on which
restoration/ rehabilitation works are to be carried out. Areas falling
within one kilometre of the Delhi-Haryana boundary, located within a
distance of two kilometres from the eco-sensitive zone of Badkhal lake,
in close proximity of the Gurgaon-Faridabad road or those with good and
healthy vegetation cover would not be considered.